


water in the sands.

by bellezza



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-12
Updated: 2012-09-11
Packaged: 2017-11-14 01:56:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/510076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellezza/pseuds/bellezza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Under the hot desert sun, water is the only thing that keeps you alive.</p>
<p>AU; Asha flees south instead of north after Euron is crowned king, where she finds safe harbor in Dorne. Arianne sees another piece to add to her father's cyvasse table.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I.

Asha Greyjoy keeps a knife where her heart is.

Arianne recognizes it right away, knowing the look from her cousin Nym, though the Princess of Pyke walks with Obara's swagger. She enters the room unattended, no guards to watch her back, no first mate to shadow her. Though Lord Doran's guards stripped Asha of all weapons, Arianne sees the shape of one last knife in the shadow of Asha's eyes. “To cut away pain and weakness before they can take root,” Nym had once said.

“Welcome to Dorne,” Arianne says once Asha has gone to one knee. “Welcome to the spear and sun.”

≈≈≈≈

After the Crowsmoot, it was south or snow.

Asha went south. At least that way she could keep to the sea.


	2. II.

She's given quarters and clothes, men's garments cut down to fit a smaller woman. They are, as near as Arianne can tell, nearly the same height, though Asha is stocky with lithe muscle where Arianne softly curves. The bed is large and inviting-looking, set cross-corner from a cyvasse table beneath an airy window. The bookcase holds tomes on ships and shipwrights, captains and salt kings. Asha runs a thumb over their spines, her eyebrow raised and lips pursed, an expression Arianne finds frustratingly hard to read.

“I am sorry my father could not receive you. He is not often well these days,” Arianne demurs. In truth Doran Martell did not receive their guest because krakens, slippery beasts they are, have an annoying tendency to strangle the unwitting prey.

Asha shrugs out of her long, salt-stained leather coat and drapes it over a chair. The coat might have once been black, but seawater bleaches color away. Rather like the sun.

“You needn't worry that I'd take offense,” Asha replies. “Of course his health comes first.”

≈≈≈≈

Sinking  _Black Wind_  was the hardest thing Asha has ever done.

They caught a second ship two hundred miles south, a small merchant schooner sorely lacking both in comfort and speed, but at least it provided anonymity. Asha killed the captain and put the crew ashore with three days' rations, then towed it another eighty yards south and beached  _Black Wind_  upon the rocks. 

Her crew, loyal to the last man, filed one by one without complaint onto the boats and watched it sink as they rowed away.


End file.
